Despite seeming a long way off, the journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin in 2023 for some national teams, with the African Qualifying Campaign (CAF) starting in November 2023.
The 2026 tournament will break new ground as a tri-host version of the competition, with the US, Canada and Mexico all staging games and Africa’s major powers hoping to make an impact.
After Morocco made history by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals in 2022, hope is renewed to overcome the obstacles and challenges that will be posed to opponents in Europe and South America.
Morocco are currently the highest ranked African team with other World Cup regulars including Senegal and Tunisia also in the 2026 qualifying mix.
CAF World Cup 2026 qualifying pots, seeds
The CAF World Cup qualifying groups are divided into nine, from A to I, with the top team from each group at the end of qualification receiving an automatic spot at the 2026 World Cup.
The four best-ranked second-place teams from the nine groups will go into the playoff round, including one leg semifinals and a final, to determine the 10th African qualifier.
Group A
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Egypt | |||||||
| Burkino Faso | |||||||
| Guinea | |||||||
| Sierra Leone | |||||||
| Ethiopia | |||||||
| Djbouti |
Group B
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Senegal | |||||||
| DR Congo | |||||||
| Mauritania | |||||||
| Togo | |||||||
| Sudan | |||||||
| South Sudan |
Group C
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Nigeria | |||||||
| South Africa | |||||||
| Benin | |||||||
| Zimbabwe | |||||||
| Rwanda | |||||||
| Lesotho |
Group D
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Cameroon | |||||||
| Cape Verde | |||||||
| Angola | |||||||
| Libya | |||||||
| Eswatini | |||||||
| Mauritius |
Group E
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Morocco | |||||||
| Zambia | |||||||
| Congo | |||||||
| Tanzania | |||||||
| Niger | |||||||
| Eritrea |
Group F
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Ivory Coast | |||||||
| Gabon | |||||||
| Kenya | |||||||
| Gambia | |||||||
| Burundi | |||||||
| Seychelles |
Group G
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Algeria | |||||||
| Guinea | |||||||
| Uganda | |||||||
| Mozambique | |||||||
| Botswana | |||||||
| Somalia |
Group H
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Tunisia | |||||||
| Equatorial Guinea | |||||||
| Namibia | |||||||
| Malawi | |||||||
| Liberia | |||||||
| Sao Tome and Principe |
Group I
| Team | Pts | Pld | Won | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
| Mali | |||||||
| Ghana | |||||||
| Madagascar | |||||||
| Central Africa Republic | |||||||
| Comoros | |||||||
| Chad |
CAF World Cup 2026 qualification schedule
The CAF World Cup 2026 qualification calendar is spread across 10 matchdays with an extra combined dates for the playoff semifinals and final.
CAF will confirm full details on fixtures in due course.
| STAGE | DATES |
| Matchday One | Nov. 13-21, 2023 |
| Matchday Two | Nov. 13-21, 2023 |
| Matchday Three | Jun. 3-11, 2024 |
| Matchday Four | Jun. 3-11, 2024 |
| Matchday Five | Mar. 17-25, 2025 |
| Matchday Six | Mar. 17-25, 2025 |
| Matchday Seven | Sep. 1-9, 2025 |
| Matchday Eight | Sep. 1-9, 2025 |
| Matchday Nine | Oct. 6-14, 2025 |
| Matchday Ten | Oct. 6-14, 2025 |
| Playoff semifinal/final | Nov. 10-18, 2025 |
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